Indomitable
by Emperor Lulu
Summary: Even in death, Marianne wanted nothing but the best for her children; and she would stop at nothing to insure it. Some might have thought it cruel to force it upon them, but she was proud of what they became. Of that, one thing was certain: where the emperor sends his eleventh son, Britannia is indomitable.
1. Chapter 1

**Indomitable**

 **And here's a new story I've been thinking up for a long time now. It's odd that it feels too soon to start another one, even though it's been a year and a half since my last. If anything, it just feels like I have too many that need to be worked on. But honestly, I only have two (three, if we count that one I can't seem to find the motivation for.) I want to work on.**

 **Call this the spiritual successor to The Black Prince. I was too afraid and inexperienced to mess with canon enough, and this is a lot closer to what I had envisioned that to be. That being said, I'm sorry to say I probably will never finish the Black Prince. But on the bright side, I guarantee this one to be a whole lot better.**

 **Chapter 1: Angels and Demons**

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 _In 2009 ATB, fifth imperial consort Marianne vi Britannia was assassinated in her home, the Aries Villa. Despite this tragic event, very little consequences followed. In only a few short months, the empress was all but forgotten, her killer never discovered. This included her two children, who miraculously escaped the attack unscathed. However, without their mother, there was little left to protect them from cold reality that was the imperial family. The empress was a commoner by birth, thus her children were too considered merely half bloods. This fact alone saw that there was nothing for the young royals to turn to._

 _Despite facing a dark and dead end future, eleventh prince Lelouch, and twelfth princess Nunnally lived on to become far more than what was expected of them. Thanks to what could only be seen as a mercy, disguised as a bane to the children. For the emperor demanded of his motherless children to become strong enough to survive on their own, or fall to the wayside, forgotten like their mother._

 _They chose the better of the two._

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 **Saudi Arabia, Britannian campaign center; 2018 ATB**

Cornelia was getting rather sick of sand. She was sure the feeling would be infinitely worse had she been spending the last few months directly on the ground like most her soldiers. Even still, the desert was a loathsome place to fight in. The mobility of knightmares was significantly reduced to that of rural battlefields, or even plains or dirt. Without their incredible maneuverability, they weren't nearly as formidable in combat. Needless to say, progress had been considerably slower than her usual blitzkrieg strategy.

"Ma'am, a group of Bamides were spotted approaching our left flank!"

And of course that as well. The MEF's replica knightmare the Bamide. It could hardly really be called such, but the hulking frame was clearly designed for fighting in native terrain. "Send Alex to fend them off." She ordered with a wave of her hand. They were hardly the most pressing threat, with the fortress they were assaulting raining artillery on her exposed forces. But they were still attempting to flank her after all; left unchecked they posed a threat all the same.

"All other units continue the advance, I want this damned fortress under a Britannian flag by nightfall."

She was answered by a chorus of affirmatives, the various IFFs displayed in front of her carrying out her commands. From beside her,Guilford leaned in toward her. "Milady, are forces are thinning out too quickly. We may not be capable of taking the fortress once we reach it."

"And our other option is retreating under the same fire that's tearing apart our frames now. We'd be better off seizing it without having to approach twice." Cornelia replied, watching her main body slowly make its way upward. A painful amount of 'lost' messages replacing unit numbers.

"Of course, Milady."

It was certainly not a favorable method of victory, but the better option nonetheless. This entire campaign had been nothing but irritating battle after costly victories. The rest of the MEF would pay dearly for making get put up with this for so long.

"Another squad of Bamides coming at us from the right!"

"Damn it, more of them?!" The princess cursed. They were certainly tenacious this time.

"We can't afford to split up the forces anymore! They'll be targeted by more artillery of we try to head them off!"

She grit her teeth. These Arabs seemed to be smarter than she first gave them credit for. They'd be Eighteens soon enough. "We have no choice. Prepare to face them directly! Don't stop to engage, just plow through them. You'll be hit by the artillery if you stop!"

She continued to watch with masked anxiety. The Bamides would likely be used as nothing more than a wall her troops would have to break down, all the while being battered by the weapons on the fortress wall. Alex was already far behind the main group, meaning he would be targeted exclusively once the rest made it to the wall. This was going to end unfavorably.

"Ma'am, the Bamides are being attacked by another group of knightmares!"

Cornelia frowned in confusion. "What group is it? There's no other deployed squadrons." She stated what was clearly untrue. At least, none of her units were free to just flank them. Besides, they had to be in range of the artillery just to get to the Bamides. Those guns were only firing at her forces.

"The knightmares appear to be Equis frames your highness!

Well that at least explained one thing. Equis' were highly advanced knightmares, and didn't actually use the common landspinners. They would be able to cross the desert far more comfortably than Glasgows or Sutherlands with those gravitational modifications. They made poor targets for artillery compared to her forces.

Except that only brought more confusion. Equis frames were only used by one unit. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"She's as eager as ever it seems. Sorry about that."

The whole command room turned to see the newcomer enter. Flanked by two knights dressed in the midnight colored uniforms of the Black Knights Special Operations division, was it's commander: Colonel Lelouch vi Britannia.

"I suppose it's pointless to ask this now, but might I be of some assistance, Cornelia?"

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She was actually beginning to find this somewhat boring. Having been all too eager to test the limits of a few new enhancements to the Angelus, she rushed off the moment her brother left to meet with Cordelia. Unfortunately, these hulking Bamide knockoffs were hardly enough to match with Ashford's crown accomplishment. And so she wove between to the advancing imitation knightmares, slicing through them with Angelus' blazing twin blades. Reducing their hopes of cutting off Cornelia's advance to piles of smoking wreckage. Sure, it was always enjoyable to practically fly in her knightmare, doing so made her feel closest to her mother. But there simply wasn't any challenge in it. Like her brother, she relished in something that pushed her capabilities.

They wanted to get stronger, after all.

"Nunnally, wait up a minute will you?!"

The young princess spared a moment to look back at the machines struggling to keep up with her. An Equis was by far the most advanced fifth generation frame, but even that paled in comparison to the unrivaled power of a seventh generation prototype.

"I'm sorry Alice, I guess I got a little carried away." Nunnally apologized with a sheepish grin on her face. She paused enough to allow her squad the chance to catch up, clearing the stragglers left in her wake.

Eventually though, the rest of the Black Knight's first squadron met up with their captain. They were relatively few in number, but they were the best the division had to offer. Her brother had made certain of that.

"You hardly left any of them for us, your highness." Her lieutenant, Gino, laughed. He was only a couple years older than her, but his skill was nothing to laugh at. Lelouch often joked that he stole him from the knights of the round, when the two met at the academy.

"I think they're pretty much taken care of." Alice commented from her place beside her. A bit of a harsher girl to anyone else, but Nunnally knew well she cared more than enough for her and her team. She couldn't have asked for a better knight.

"Well it seems you've been having fun." Nunnally heard the voice of her brother through the comms in her cockpit.

"Sorry, sir. The captain's a bit hard to say no to." Leon replied to the prince in an apologetic tone. Leonhardt Steiner was partly responsible for the development of the Angelus. Or rather, his family's engineering conglomerate; as a show of good faith when Lelouch recruited him as well as Gino, as the Weinberg family was the Steiner family's initial master.

Lelouch did have his way of getting what he wanted when he asked for it. No one denied the Demon of Britannia.

"I'm well aware of that, Steiner." Her brother replied flatly. "But I did go through all the trouble of asking the general here for permission to assist in taking the fortress. You'll be doing just that."

The princess turned her attention back toward the massive citadel situated in the sandy desert. The guns placed all across it's massive walls had been mercilessly pounding at Cornelia's snail crawl push for quite some time now. Though They had given half hearted attempts to attack the Equis's positioned among the remains of their own forces, they quickly found it a pointless endeavor.

"You'll probably only have more Bamides to deal with inside the fortress, but regardless we're here to help Cornelia. Focus on removing the defenses and allow her to move in and finish the job." Lelouch explained to her team as the moved into a position to scale the wall. "I'll leave the rest up to you. I have some things to discuss with the general, and I'm sure there won't be any problems you can't deal with. "

"Well now, finally putting some trust in us are you?" Gino commented with no doubt a cheeky grin she could practically hear.

"Not in you; but I trust the rest to keep a leash on you, so that's enough for me." And another grin she could imagine on her brother's face.

"You hurt me, Lelouch." The blonde pouted.

The group crested over the wall, scattering clusters of foot soldiers manning the guns. They spread out across the top, destroying the placements all along it's width, and avoiding what little resistance was offered with relative ease. "That's sir to you Weinberg."

"I'll keep an eye on him, sir." she heard the quiet voice of their last member, Anya. She was odd, to say the least, and had an even more odd obsession with her brother. But she was just as talented as the rest.

Shaking her head at their antics, Nunnally simply continued along her path. "Well, let's get to it then!"

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"She's as skilled as you say, Lelouch. It's a shame you can't really pilot to save your life."

Lelouch replied to her comment with a slight chuckle. "I think to think I inherited other important gifts. Though Nunnally certainly got that from our mother."

Cornelia nodded in agreement, watching along with him the progress Nunnally and her squadron had already made. "I often wish I could see Marianne in a more modern frame. To make something as archaic as the Ganymede move like lightning is simply unbelievable even now." She gave a small smile. "I like to think she'd look something like that." She gestured to the majestic white knightmare. The justly named Angelus.

"So tell me, just what did you come all this way for? Surely you have better things to do." She turned to face him with a quizzical look.

"Well, the insurrection in Area Eight was hardly all it was cracked up to be. The Viceroy probably just exaggerated for some kind of publicity. I really should be on my way back to the homeland. Though I'm not exactly in any hurry." He explained.

"So you stopped by just to visit?" Cornelia asked with a raised eyebrow. Cbc

"Not exactly. There is one thing I wanted to discuss." The prince told her. "I have a lead."

She sharply turned to look at him. "You know you didn't have to bribe me for my help. I'm here any time."

To that he only smiled. "Still, this is an extremely delicate thing, you know that. And unfortunately this is something I'm going to have to ask you to do for me."

"And what exactly is it you need?"

"We finally managed to track down one of the guards that went missing that night. And he showed up in Area Eleven." Lelouch revealed.

"I see." Cornelia replied. "You'd like me to find him when I go there."

Area Eleven had always been problematic. The people there refused to ever give up. More rebellions showed up in the island nation than half the other provinces combined. Cornelia actually made regular visits.

"I know you probably won't find him. But I honestly haven't had the slightest hope in a while." He added with a sigh.

"You still think that some of the guards might have been involved?" She asked him.

"I'd much rather believe my mother's closest guards were the most loyal to her- I know I can trust Jeremiah with practically anything- but… there's just too much there's that suggests it. Three guards went missing right after the guard was dismissed, they would have known that. And not a single house guard was killed. There wasn't any evidence of a forced break in. Someone had to have let them in."

"I understand just how you feel. I was the captain of her guard after all, I would be ashamed to know some of my men were responsible." She offered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll do everything I can to find him."

"Thank you Cornelia, I'm glad that I can count on you." He gave her a more sincere smile, nodding as well.

"Have you spoken to Nunnally about this?" She questioned, frowning at already having predicted his response.

"No, I haven't." He admitted. "She thinks it's time we moved on from this. Start looking toward the future rather than the past, is how she put it."

"I'm not going to dictate for you one way or the other, you two should be in agreement no matter what you choose." She almost sounded like she was reprimanding him.

"Maybe she's right, that we should finally let it go. But honestly...I don't really know what else to do." The prince shook his head, sighing once more. "Sixth in line for the throne."

It was still unbelievable to the princess that her brother had unintentionally clawed his way to just two spots beneath her. At the rate he was going he would be competing with her at the year's end. He wasn't exactly on the best terms with the rest of their family because of it, but the common masses almost idolized him. For the same reason they did his mother.

"Well you seem to be well off enough already, you have plenty of options ahead of you." Cornelia offered her brother. "Didn't you win some 'most eligible bachelor' or something?"

Lelouch snorted, rolling his eyes. "Like I said earlier: I'm in no hurry to return home. All that is is more pointless distractions."

"Well sooner or later you'll have to find something. Even when you do finally solve this what then? You're certainly talented enough. You just need to find the ambition to accomplish something. Whatever you set your mind to I know you could achieve." Cornelia encouraged him. Throughout the years she fell into a sort of motherly role for him, replacing as best as she could what he had lost.

Her brother nodded in agreement. "I suppose you may be right. But for now this will have to be enough."

"Ma'am, the main force has reached the wall of the fortress Princess Nunnally opened for us."

She looked up at the display that confirmed as much. Dozens of dots flooded into the hold, reaching the paved roadways inside the enemy base. The rest would be simple from there.

"Looks like that about wraps things up." Lelouch added. "They won't offer much resistance from here "

"It's about time too. I've attempted to take this fort multiple times now." She said with an irritated tone.

"How goes the rest of the campaign though? How much longer do you think you'll be here?" Lelouch asked her.

Cornelia gave a frustrated sigh at that. "This whole war has been more or less the same as this battle, albeit that godforsaken fortress was far worse. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later."

Lelouch laughed lightly at her irritation. "I wish I could stay and help a little longer, but I doubt our father would appreciate me wasting my time here."

"It's not you I need, just those knightmares." She corrected with a laugh of her own.

"Sorry, I'm a little attached to them I'm afraid."

"I know. Believe me." No matter how much she or even Camelot demanded it, the prince refused to allow Ashford to build frames outside of his own unit. The Equis, and before that the now retired Ganymede mark two were exclusive to his Black Knights. Though the Ganymede was turned over to the military, for a price. It was a shame, considering no one built knightmares like Ashford.

"Still, I wish you the best of luck sister. I can only imagine how this campaign has been." Lelouch said. "And I pray you find something, when you do get to Area Eleven."

"I should hope so as well. I want to see this through as well, you know." She reminded him. That was why she was so willing to help.

"I'll give you the details when you're done with this place. I'll probably be off somewhere else by then."

The prince stepped away from the main deck, his guards quick to fall in behind him. "Till next time Cornelia. Sooner, rather than later."

"Thank you for the help, Lelouch." She said to her brother as he left command center. "I'll be sure to return the favor some time. I'm not counting your search just so you know."

With a wordless nod, he was gone; leaving Guilford to return to his place beside her.

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 **Britannian Supply Port, Saudi Arabia; 2018 ATB**

Nunnally gently guided the Angelus to the loading dock in front of her, along with the rest of her squad. The frame was then brought into the main hangar of the Black Knights' carrier: The Marianne. The carrier housed every one of their Equis knightmares, some six hundred in total were stored tightly together on the massive ship. The Marianne was one of the largest vessels in the Britannian navy, save the HBN Britannia and a select few others. There were also two smaller ships that acted as bodyguards for the Marianne. Though the carrier was not in the slightest defenseless, any sort of naval attack that destroyed the Marianne would completely wipe out the entire division. Those twin battleships were called Victoria and Invicta. Lelouch liked Latin terms for some reason. All that the Black Knights possessed however, was privately owned by the vi Britannia family. A great majority was funded through what inheritance their mother was able to leave them, the rest by selling the Ganymede mark II following the development of the Equis. Lelouch would likely so the same thing again to fund it, should a mass seventh generation frame become practical.

Nunnally was met-like always-by Jeremiah after disembarking her knightmare. "My lady, I trust you are unharmed from your mission?"

Always one to worry, even over nothing. "Of course, Jeremiah. Thank you for your concern." She smiled at the man, earning a satisfied nod.

"It's what I'm here for, Lady Nunnally." He replied. Jeremiah was the vice commander, right hand to her brother. And he was very dedicated to his position.

"Is my brother here yet?" She asked, making her way toward the elevator that would carry her up to the living areas above.

"Yes, your highness. I believe he left shortly after you breached the fortress." He told her. "We'll be departing for the homeland shortly now, we aren't able to spend much longer here."

"That's fine, I miss the Areis Villa. It's been awhile since we've been home." She said with a wistful sigh.

"Indeed. His highness left almost instantly the last time we were in the homeland."

Nunnally frowned at the memory. Something about a contest? He didn't really seem excited about it though. "Well hopefully he won't leave again. I wanted to visit Euphy at least once this time."

"Hey Nunnally, wait up will you?! Geez that's twice now!"

The two stopped to see Alice running through the hangar to catch up. It had likely taken her much longer to get her knightmare stored, leaving her behind her princess.

"Lady Meyford. So good of you to join us." Jeremiah eyed her with a look of disapproval. He would have gladly been Nunnally's knight, to protect her at all times. It was only by Lelouch not wanting to force him to choose between both of them that he didn't at all. But that didn't stop him from wanting the best for his princess.

"It's not like it's my fault Gottwald." She defended herself sharply, crossing her arms.

"Hardly a reasonable excuse to allow her highness to remain without her knight."

"It's fine Jeremiah." Nunnally cut in before Alice got too worked up. She thought Alice did a perfectly fine job. She chose her own knight after all.

"You must take your own safety seriously, your highness." The bluenette told Nunnally, almost as if he was scolding her.

"I'm quite sure it's safe enough in here, Jeremiah." She laughed. "Nowhere safer."

Though he did not say it aloud, Jeremiah's neutral face hid a dark thought. _I'm sure your mother thought the same thing._ "You can never be too careful, Milady. You are a princess of Britannia, and this is still an enemy country." He chose to give a more tactful reason. Even for him, bringing it up was painful, he couldn't think to speak it to the young girl, even if it was the truth.

"Thank you for your concern, Jeremiah." the young princess repeated.

He sighed, allowing her knight to accompany her as he left to finish preparations for their departure. "It's what I'm here for."

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 **The Marianne; Mediterranean Sea; 2018 ATB**

Lelouch watched the land slowly fade past the horizon as the Marianne began it's trip back home. He sat comfortably in his private office aboard the ship, thinking to himself. His conversation with Cornelia irritated him considerably, though logically he knew it shouldn't. If anything it proved he was successful in his activities the last few years.

She had told him he lacked ambition, a goal for his future other than simple vengeance for his mother. A worthy mission nonetheless, but unfulfilling he knew that.

Sixth in line for the throne, more than likely fifth by the end of the year. Oh, he had ambition. He had a vision, and five people stood in his way.

Clovis, Lelouch's rival from childhood. Soon enough, he would finally decide once and for all who won in the end. He was Viceroy of Area Eleven, and deserved some credit for (mostly) holding together that volatile nation. Unfortunately that was probably the furthest he would ever get.

They all knew Odysseus was crown Prince in name alone. His eldest brother actually did lack the ambition Cornelia thought him missing. He had no desire to accomplish anything, and the people would see that when it mattered.

Guinevere was only slightly harder to surpass. She liked to collect nobles, gathering around her a click of the finest men and women of the Empire. Though she may hold a great number of favors and secrets, she had absolutely no military prowess whatsoever. Lelouch felt that she too might fail in the people's eyes as well. More importantly, their father's.

Cornelia was by all means the opposite of her older sister. She hated nobility and their cowardice. They hated her in turn. But she was in fact chief of the military and that alone meant leagues more to the emperor. Strength is everything in Britannia, and the Goddess of victory did not earn her title by conquering sandcastles. Though Lelouch wished he sway his sister to his own side, he was unsure if he would be able to do that. She was as Britannian as they came, and he had to accept that she too stood in his way.

Then there was Schniezel.

Anyone who owed Guinevere anything would betray her in a heartbeat by Schneizel's command. Half the military was torn between the chief general and the prime minister. Even more so it's weapons development. Schneizel owned Camelot, no questions asked. And though he was third in line, Lelouch saw him as the final obstacle to overcome. Ironically, it was Schneizel that Lelouch was politically closest to. Rarely were the demon and witch placed in the same campaign together, it was simply unnecessary. But it the was prime minister who called upon Lelouch when he was needed. Though he answered only to the emperor, it was Schniezel who called in his place. The two worked in a deadly harmony: the prime minister would continue 'negotiations' until Lelouch could properly invade on orders of the emperor. Schniezel liked to remain clean of conflict, and Lelouch developed a reputation for ruthlessness. And in the end, everyone thought he acted only because he was told to. The demon of Britannia was the emperor's most lethal attack dog. No one thought he had goals of his own. Not even Cornelia could see it.

He did have ambition. Born of his love for his family that once was. His mother died because Britannia itself betrayed her. His beloved little sister was forced to fight for her own survival because Britannia would not allow otherwise. Eight years ago she was a hair's breadth from being denied even that. The strong devour the weak, and the weak exist to feed the strong. And you cannot escape your fate no matter how much you try.

And that was wrong. He would change that.

As emperor of Britannia.

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 **Area Eleven; 2018 ATB**

He stared intently upward at the towering building that embodied oppression itself. He strongly desired to tear the whole thing down; of it was within his power, he would have.

However, he would have to be content with something else instead.

"We're almost ready, everything is going well so far."

He had waited years for this day. His people waited along with him for the promise made eight years ago to be fulfilled.

 _"Though we may fall today, though I may fall to Britannia this night, our honor has not died. One day, we will reclaim what is ours. One day, you will remind our people what it means to be Japanese. It is a heavy burden I leave to you, but you are strong. Your people are strong. The years that will come will shape you into what you must become."_

He never forgot those words. The final message of a man who died for Japan.

 _"Suzaku, my son. You will be the one who reclaims Japan."_

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 **So a few things to cover real quick. Most of the character's positions will be explained in the next chapter, but a couple I wanted to bring up. Alice is there only in name and character. She is the character from nightmare of Nunnally, though not Alice the speed. Rather a better alternative to an OC. Simply because a majority of the cast is Japanese, where Lelouch is aligned soley with Britannia. I had to pull a bunch of characters from there like Gino and Anya. Also Leonhardt is from Oz. More on that later. Now if you will excuse me, I have a final to prepare for. God help me.**


	2. The Equality of Life

**Indomitable**

 **Chapter Two: The Equality of Life**

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 **Aries Villa; 2009 ATB**

Lelouch held tightly to the young girl in his arms. He could feel her shaking slightly, trying to hold back tears that hadn't stopped even this late in the night. It was only earlier that day, when they had been forced to accept this new reality. That they had to come to realize their mother was dead. It hadn't been heard of in decades, not since the previous era his father grew up in, that a member of the royal family was assassinated. He wanted to shield her from it all, protect her from the truth of the cold world. They talked about terrorists, an attack from the numbers or possibly even the EU. But he knew better, that there was really only one answer. No matter who pulled the trigger, it was someone he called family that ordered her death.

It was hardly difficult to understand. He and Nunnally themselves received their fair share of scorn as well. They were hated by most all the royal family, he knew that. Nunnally however, hadn't seen that yet. She desired to love everyone, she refused to believe that her brothers and sisters hated her simply for who her mother was. And Lelouch didn't want her to give it up, no matter what the truth was. He didn't want her to hate. He hated enough for both of them. Even now, as Nunnally shook in anguish in his arms, Lelouch trembled in rage.

He hated them. Every one of them. He wanted to make them pay, he didn't care who it was, as far as he was concerned they were all guilty. His entire family could be blamed, it wasn't even impossible to say that many of them conspired together.

His beloved little sister was now vulnerable to the unadulterated truth of their empire. He wanted to protect her, to shield her from that pain; but he couldn't. He was too weak to save her from anything, or to do anything at all. For all the many times he heard their father speak of his ideals, this was the first time it truly sunk in. He was at the mercy of those above him. And there were a lot of them. Lelouch had always believed being a prince had made him strong; or at the least, placed him above others. Perhaps that was true from some perspective, it didn't mean a damn thing when he was compared to anyone. Just a small boy who happened to be somewhat bright. All that meant is he understood all too well what kind of fate awaited him. Worse still, what might become of Nunnally.

"Your highness."

He looked up at the man with his hand outstretched hesitantly, as if he was afraid to touch him. Nunnally remained where she was nuzzled in his arms, she'd fallen asleep it seemed. The man looked sympathetically at the dozing princess, his name was Jeremiah, Lelouch believed. One of the few guards that remained even less than twenty four hours following their mother's death. Two were killed along with mother, three utterly disappeared, and eight resigned. He didn't blame them; They were loyal to their mother, not to him. He did nothing to deserve them anyway.

"The emperor has summoned you." Jeremiah told him.

He tried his best not to tremble at that message. But he supposed it would be best to get this over with now rather than later. He couldn't imagine a great reason his father would wish to speak with him. That only left bad ones. He gently placed his sister down, rising silently. Making that man wait wouldn't make things any better.

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 **Pendragon Imperial Palace; 2009 ATB**

Composing every bit of strength he could muster, a young Lelouch entered the throne room with his head held high. Despite the mutters and gestures surrounding him he continued down the extravagant path to the throne, pointedly ignoring the gathered nobles with their preying eyes watching his every step. The roaring silence reached its peak at his last step, coming to a stop before the man atop the throne. He knelt before his father, as was expected of him, his bowed head preventing him from meeting the sharp gaze of the emperor. No one said a word, Lelouch's barely controlled breathing the only sound in his ears before he realized it was he who was supposed to speak.

"Hail, your majesty." He spoke with whatever ounce of authority a near ten year old prince possessed. In a room such as this, it wasn't much.

Lelouch resisted the steadily growing urge to raise his head as the seconds of silence stretched on. But even without his eyes to see it he could feel the man watching him, making his skin crawl as though he could hide nothing. Which he very well knew he could not; not that there was anything for him to hide. Except perhaps the feeling he earlier experienced toward the rest of the man's consorts and their children. But really, when was that new to any of them? The mutual feeling existed long before such escalated actions took place.

"Leave us." The young prince nearly jumped at the sudden booming voice of his father, uttering a single command to the rest of the room's occupants.

He could hear the uneasy shifting behind him, as the nobles of the court realized it was them he was ordering. But despite how they felt about it they complied with all due haste. No one denied the emperor. In a matter of minutes, Lelouch was alone with the most powerful man in the world, not even the guards remained.

His father gradually rose from his throne, each step toward his kneeling son bringing inexplicable panic in the eleventh prince. Not daring to raise his head, Lelouch resolutely stared at the flawless marble floor covered with an immaculate crimson rug until the feet of the emperor replaced it in his vision.

"Rise, Lelouch." this time, the order was directed at him. And after taking a silent second to collect himself, he did as he was told.

The boy rose to his full height, barely half of the man towering over him. He summoned every bit of courage he had to look him in the eye. What he got in return was the gaze of his father silently judging everything Lelouch would amount to till the day he died.

"Your mother is now dead." The emperor declared in a cold tone. As if it had no effect on the man now that his favorite wife was murdered. "You understand what this means for you and your sister."

He swallowed his nervousness realizing he would have to respond. "Yes, your majesty."

"You are now without the protection afforded to you by the empress. It is to your benefit you come to truly understand what it means to be Britannian. 'All men are not created equal.' You are the son of Marianne the Flash, and a prince of Britannia. I see no reason why you cannot succeed. You can either stand strong on your own, or be consumed by those who seek to destroy you." His father stood above him with the same cold expressionless face he always wore as he gave Lelouch the strangest speech he had probably ever heard. He had a hard time deciding if this was the emperor's way of encouraging him or not. Or more so why he would do so in the first place. "I will not help you,nor should you rely on the aid of any other. It is by your own strength that you shall survive, and overcome. Only then will you be able to claim what you have lost."

Confusion momentarily crossed Lelouch's face as he wondered what it was he was supposed to reclaim. A second later however his father made it clear. "I am calling off the investigation into your mother's death." He revealed, shocking the prince. "If you wish to see justice through for the crime committed against her, you must bring it to light with your own hands."

 _With...my own hands?_

"You are now on your own. That does not mean you are without a future. As my son, and the son of Marianne, I expect much from you. Do not disappoint me, Lelouch."

And that was the first, and only time his father would directly acknowledge him as his son. As far as Lelouch knew it was the only time he had ever made such an acknowledgement. He made a hasty bow, stunned by the outcome of his summons. "Thank you, your majesty. I will not fail."

 _I won't fail, not mother, or nunnally…_

"Good." The emperor replied, turning to reclaim his throne. "You may now go."

Quickly doing as he was told, Lelouch left with his head spinning and his thoughts racing a thousand directions. He had thoroughly believed the man to discard him! But instead he was given the right to hunt down his mother's killer? Surely the emperor had to know who was responsible, there really wasn't many who could pull that off. Lelouch himself even came to that conclusion. And he was just given free reign to seek out the truth?

More so, his father believed Lelouch capable of even more than that. The emperor was not one to give encouragement. A more logical part of him wondered if he was being used to find his mother's assassin. Or perhaps he really did care for Lelouch's mother. Enough to care just a bit for her children?

Either way, Lelouch vi Britannia left the imperial throne room every bit a prince as he entered it.

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Charles watched the small boy leave his throne room slightly taller than he had entered. From that he gathered he had succeeded in his objective for the day.

Silently, a little pink-haired girl made herself known from the shadows behind his throne. "Well, look at you being a father." She teased with a mischievous grin. He spared his wife a glare, as her small body came to stand before him. Getting used to treating this girl as Marianne was...difficult, especially when she still acted just as she did in her original body. "The boy interests me to some degree." The emperor admitted. "I merely pushed him down that path. It is still up to him whether he chooses to follow it, and how far he is willing to go."

"Well, thank you regardless." Marianne told him from her new body. It had been by her demand that he do something about her children she worried over at not being able to protect them. And even without her old form, she was hard to deny. As she always had been. "He's a lot like you, you know. I'm sure my boy will satisfy your demands."

Charles nodded mutely, imagining just what he could make of his eleventh son.

"He has your eyes." she commented offhandedly.

"Indeed he does. The eyes of royalty." That much of himself he only saw in Lelouch. For all the court's bickering over his heredity it was ironic the boy was the most physically befitting of a true prince. He had to admit it, he was thoroughly eager to see what Lelouch was capable of. Thus far only two of his children had come to earn his interest, a third would prove most amusing as work toward Ragnarok stalled more recently. And even then, between Schneizel and Cornelia, neither truly fit was he sought for that future.

The eyes of a king. And in them, burned a fierce determination. Truly interesting indeed.

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Cornelia stared at her younger brother with a stern expression, trying to gauge just how committed he was to what he had just asked. " You...want to join the military?" She repeated aloud, frowning at the resolute boy returning her gaze.

"Yes." He simply replied, with a sharp nod.

" Lelouch, you should be focused on studies or something more fitting your age." The princess argued, shaking her head. "The military is hardly the place for a child!"

The young prince scowled. "I'm not a child anymore Nelly, I hardly have the luxury to act like one. You know what position I'm in right now, what stakes in facing. I can't afford to wait around."

"That may be true, but even for a member of the royal family the rules can only be bent so much. I was fifteen when I joined the academy and that was with heavy influence on your mother's part. I really can't see you getting in any earlier than that." she tried to convince him otherwise, already getting the idea it was a fruitless endeavor.

"Then I'll have to prepare for that. If I'm to join as early as possible it will have to be on my own merit. The only way I can accomplish that is obtaining as much experience and training as I can beforehand." Lelouch countered. "Whatever I can do now to further that, is more than doing nothing."

It was a little hard to argue with that. It would be much harder to get Lelouch into a desirable position than it was for Cornelia. But if he could prove his talent much sooner than that, and hone it for several years before joining he would have significantly better chances for success. She sighed, relenting his point. "I could recommend you a few generals to study under." She offered. "Many of them served your mother. I'm sure they would be honored to have you."

Lelouch gave a small smile. "Thank you, Cornelia. That's all I really want for now." truthfully, it might turn out to be frustrating for him to move out from his mother's shadow, especially studying with commanders who worked with her in the past. Even then, he would get to see some of the techniques his mother employed used beyond her passing. That much he would be eager to learn. Lelouch wanted to become a leader of his own. Mastering the techniques of the most successful knight in the previous era, his own mother no less; would be a great step in that direction.

Because what his father failed to mention, was the incredible fortune his mother had carefully hid away for his own inheritance. Already he had more than a few ideas for how such a fund could be used for his machinations. The Ganymede was the reason 'Marianne the Flash' was so rightfully feared, and the creator of that wonderful machine was still within his grasp. Clearly, the best way to employ that opportunity, as well as the best way to gain the power he needed to find his mother's killer, was to join the military.

"If you ever need someone to lean on, I hope you know that I'll be here for you, Lelouch." Cornelia offered him with as sincere a look as he's ever seen. He returned her a genuine smile, probably the first one since his mother died.

"Thank you, Nelly." The young prince replied gratefully. It was comforting to know not everyone in his family was out for his blood. Though his allies were still few in number. Cornelia was really the only one he could count on that held weight behind her words. He was sure Nunnally and Euphy would eagerly volunteer to assist, but there wasn't much they could do, unfortunately. Not that he'd want them to anyway. The emperor made it clear he had done all he was going to at this point, which wasn't actually much to begin with. Schneizel and Clovis were the only others he wouldn't immediately write off as dying to plant a dagger in his back.

So Lelouch supposed shadowing a few of his mother's old subordinates might earn him the faint beginnings of the bonds he would need to forge to build his own web of support. He would need all the help he could get, to both avenge what he had lost, and protect what he still had left.

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 **Aries Villa; 2010 ATB**

Nunnally stared intently at the various diagrams displayed on the pages in front of her. While attempting to decipher the complex words and numbers that accompanied them. The technical manual for an RPI-11 Glasgow was hardly intended for a little girl to read, and she wasn't about to ask that a children's edition be published specifically for her.

"Are you really reading that boring thing again?" Euphy observed with a frown as she found her sister's secluded reading spot in the villa. The pink haired princess had made a habit of spending as much time as possible with Nunnally in the months following Marianne's assassination. Whether to offer comfort to the motherless girl or for her own sake at losing who was almost more of a mother than her own. Cornelia had been given an important assignment in the invasion of Japan only a few weeks ago, and before that she was off conquering what was now Area Nine. More practically she could accredit her new pseudo home to that frequent absence.

"It might be boring, but it's still important to learn." The younger princess defended. Britannia's newest weapon was quickly proving to be absolutely dominating in the battlefields it was deployed. Learning how it worked, and how it was operated seemed vital to the girl's own plan. "Someday I'll join big brother, and Nelly. So I'll have to learn everything I can to help them." she declared.

"But Lulu is joining the army to protect you isn't he? That's what he said at least." Euphy huffed. Really, there were better things to do than read stuffy manuals all day.

"But who's going to protect him Euphy? I wanna protect big brother just as much as he protects me. We'll help each other and no one will ever be able to hurt us." Nunnally grinned passionately, very clearly having thought this through many times. "We'll be unstoppable!"

Though it might have been naivete on her part, she refused to believe otherwise. Either way, she wasn't about to stand by and do nothing when her brother was preparing to become a soldier. Life had left her very few options, but she would not allow it to decide for her.

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 **Philippines Campaign Center; 2010 ATB**

Lelouch had quickly realized there was little to glean from the operations being conducted by general Walter. Despite being one of the most successful Britannian commanders in more recent years in was very apparent just where that success was derived from. Because what really mattered to the homeland was the conquering of an Area. Very little attention was paid to the cost of that victory. And following the deployment of knightmares in modern combat, such ruthless tactics and reckless abandon left little consequence on the lives of the knights who were able to flee from a disadvantageous engagement with a simple pull of a lever. Such was the knightmare built around.

Lelouch had already decided such methods were not how he wanted to lead as a commander. His desire to protect Nunnally had subconsciously evolved into a more conservative method of approach. Every time he saw the general lose a unit he couldn't help but imagine losing Nunnally. His mindset was easily justifiable however. A good leader should not have to risk the lives of his men to secure victory. The mark of a good strategy, a master commander, was total advantage with no risk of defeat. That was the kind of leader soldiers could put their trust in. What he aspired to be.

"This formation was used by Marianne to take Stanley and establish Area Eight." General Walter explained to him, and he had to feign interest in something he already knew inside and out. He had studied on his own every tactic and strategy his mother used as a knight of the round to conquer her three areas. "Of course, implementing Knightmares was my own design. Though I'm sure she would have done it the same way."

As if there was any other way of doing it.

"Although, it would be better to take a few units from the vanguard to the rear guard." Lelouch commented to himself, heard only by the man attending beside him. Jeremiah had volunteered immediately to watch over the prince since his first time observing battlefields some eight months ago, even swearing himself in the process, something Lelouch had not expected in the slightest. It was impossible to determine just where his enemies might be hiding, and who was waiting to plunge a knife into his back. He thoroughly believed it was a very real possibility, and gratefully accepted the man's offer. It became a habit of his to explain to Gottwald the flaws he saw in Britannia's strategies. Jeremiah found it rather impressive how quickly his prince was able to understand the flow of a battle, what strengths and weaknesses were presented with each situation.

"Granted, it isn't impossible to say such precautions are unnecessary in this particular instance. " Lelouch continued his analysis. "It would be tantamount to suicide for any forces the possess to attempt to flank a knightmare. With such a difference in firepower you can actually get away with such a committed assault. In the future however, I have no doubt Britannia's enemies will be able to stand on equal ground with knightmares. Any competent leader would see that weakness and exploit it in an instant."

Lelouch briefly wondered if his mother was aware of the flaws in what was apparently a formation she developed. If anything, the addition of knightmares compensated more for the weakness. Surely his mother understood this. He couldn't believe she would make such a mistake. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw just what he had missed. Very clever indeed, it seemed he still had a lot to learn.

"The formation was designed to be flanked." He spoke softly in realization, earning a confused look from Jeremiah. "To draw in such a force and then entrap it using the heavy vanguard. By spreading out the flanks to create the encirclement and replacing them with the forward facing forces. It would swallow any attacking group whole that tried to outmaneuver it, with little risk to the front line. Even if those measures are not needed it still benefits from an overwhelming offensive position, which is how the general is clearly using it." Somehow though, Lelouch knew Walter was completely unaware of the maneuver his position possessed.

"I see." Gottwald replied in an awed tone. "Lady Marianne truly was a magnificent soldier."

The prince nodded his agreement. Gifted in every aspect of warfare, she was everything Lelouch aspired to become. Maybe one day he would surpass her; he would have to if he wanted to avenge her. Only by being stronger could he confront the one who took her life, and overcome them.

He could see now just how much he had to work toward that.

"Sir, enemy aircraft are approaching our position from the north!" An officer called out, breaking Lelouch from his own musings.

"Aircraft?" He wondered just what they were trying to gain.

"What a pointless endeavor." Walter replied with a scoff. "Evasive maneuvers. Have the main force return anti-air fire once they pass."

As the orders were given, Lelouch saw several dots that represented the jets appear at their estimated location on the tactical map showing their own unit positions. He could even eventually make out the small shapes out in the distance make their approach. The Britannian knightmares fanned out to make themselves more difficult targets, their high mobility would make it extremely difficult to deal lasting damage to the imposing force. Lelouch suspected this was a last ditch effort on their part.

Except they passed right over the Britannian position. The jets were making a direct run toward the unprotected command center.

"Your highness!" Jeremiah reached out toward him. He must have realized it too, seconds before inescapable air to surface missiles were launched directly at the command center.

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 **Area Eleven Local Relief Center; 2010 ATB**

Kallen stared numbley forward as the man clutching her tightly waved down one of the armed guards watching what looked like a hastily built hospital. Hardly inviting, but far more so than anything before it.

"Sir! Are you alright?" the Britannian soldier asked with a look of genuine worry, briefly checking over him and Kallen for any serious wounds. Her father had a bandage over a knife wound on his arm, but that was all he would see. "My name is Duke Anthony Stadtfeld." Her father frantically pulled out the tattered remains of his ID that proved his title.

The soldier pushed it away, instead ushering the two of them toward the building with a Britannian flag waving proudly above its entrance. "Quickly, we need to see you to a doctor."

"please, see to my daughter first." Her father insisted.

The man leading them nodded, sending a warm smile her way. "Of course." leading them inside, they were greeted by several Britannian medical officials who weren't looking at the few other patients present. The hospital was set up to provide aid to civilians that were in any way injured during the fighting in the cities. The courtesy was not extended to Elevens.

Kallen was still hardly aware of the small army of nurses checking her over, they wouldn't find anything of course. If she was injured at all, then her mother would probably still be alive.

She was attacked by some thug that broke into their home. He wasn't the only one though, a whole mob had come to take revenge on them for the simple reason that they were Britannian. Nevermind they had likely been neighbors for years, that Kallen probably went to school with many of their children. None of that mattered to them.

Her mother tried to defend her, and she was rewarded with a knife through her chest. Her father arrived a few seconds too late, barely managing to escape with Kallen as their house was overrun. Her mother was killed by Japanese; by her own people. Before that day she always felt the proper amount of pride at being half Japanese. She loved her home, her people.

Never had she felt so betrayed.

Before then, she was angry at Britannia for putting them in that danger, except she soon learned they were in fact warned. It was by their own choice to stay, believing their family's situation would protect them. Clearly they were wrong.

Her mother was dead, her brother might as well be. She had no idea what became of Naoto, only she and her father were safe. Safe thanks to Britannia. Not Japan.

She was hurt, far more emotionally than physically. And she doubted there was anything these doctors could do to help with that. Still, they made more of an effort then the people she previously put her faith in. Her father held her close, whispering reassurances to the small girl. He promised to take her back to the homeland, where it was safe.

All the while, her anguish slowly morphed into smoldering hatred. These people were far worse than anything Britannia was accused of. _All men are not created equal._ She found herself thinking. They deserved what they got.

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Lelouch snapped to focus with a hacking cough, dust settling over everything in site.

"My prince! Are you alright?!" Jeremiah was already checking over him for any wounds. He was fine of course, thanks to Jeremiah shielding him at the last second.

"I'm fine, what's going on now?" He asked, trying to get a grasp of the disorganized situation. Officers ran around aimlessly, and it became quite clear that something was very wrong. "The general?"

"He's dead, your highness." Jeremiah revealed just what kind of state the command was in. "As are the majority of the command structure."

Lelouch cursed under his breath. What was a desperate gambit turned out to be a frustratingly effective tactic. Of course the command center wasn't properly outfitting to defend against such an attack. 'It is an impossibility that we could ever be in danger.' he could gear Walter saying. Obviously he put too much faith in their unstoppable knightmares. Or too little caution against their enemy. Either way, he paid the price for his arrogance.

"Get me in contact with the captain down there." Lelouch ordered.

Jeremiah frowned. "Your highness? We need to get you-"

"I can't imagine it looks any better there than it does here." Lelouch justified his choice, already rising despite several protesting limbs. "They didn't launch an attack like that on the command center without being able to follow up on it."

"Ah…very well." Jeremiah relented, flagging down someone who could fulfill his request.

Lelouch waited the few agonising minutes as connection to the ground forces was reestablished, worrying over what kind of condition they were left in. Eventually, a headset was given to him, and he snatched it up in a heartbeat. "Hello? Is anyone still down there?!" He called over the army's open channel. Anyone would be able to respond, he just hoped someone would.

A startled response came almost immediately, flooding Lelouch with relief. "This is Captain Odair! What's the situation at command?"

"My name is Lelouch vi Britannia." He began, forcing himself to appear calm. "General Walter, along with most of the support staff were killed. I was observing the battle earlier, please, tell me what's going on?"

"Ah-your highness we…" the man he was speaking to collected himself, likely surprised by who he was speaking to. "We were ambushed shortly after the missiles hit, a group of tanks are pushing at our rear flank, we're having a difficult time repressing them and dealing with the forward forces your highness."

He had to hide the faint grin that appeared hearing that, eternally grateful he understand his mother's genius. "listen very carefully captain," he began. "You need to press the rear guard in toward the front line, let the enemy close in. Expand the flanks to surround them. You can use your vanguard to reinforce the flank!"

It was the shortest way to describe it. He was sure with proper training and more detailed knowledge of the pieces on the board there was more to it than that. But he had to run off what he could remember of the map before it was destroyed. "Eliminate the ambushing force as soon as possible, then move to a reinforced front line formation!"

"Yes sir!" he could only imagine the ensuing chaos, blindly listening to the shouts between pilots as the moved in a desperate attempt to stay alive. All he could do was pray there was enough strength left to pull off the maneuver.

Seconds passed, and he watched intently through the holes created by the missiles as the tiny dots moved around several miles away.

"Shit. Your highness!" Lelouch heard the captain explain and he instantly feared the worst. "The jets are coming back around again. They're going to hit the command center!"

Damn it. With the Britannian forces working with some semblance of cohesion of course they would return to finish the job. "Keep pressing on the encirclement! Don't let up!" he ordered in response.

"You highness, you're in danger!" Odair responded. "We're going to try to shoot them down, we should be able to take them all out before they reach you."

"No!" Lelouch cried out. "If you focus on the aircraft you'll be obliterated! You have to take care of the flanking force first."

"But your highness, you could be-"

"I won't allow you to sacrifice yourselves for me!" Lelouch Stubbornly persisted, shocking the captain to silence. For a brief moment he recalled what the emperor told him. 'All men are not created equal.' He was supposed to be worth more than that of a common soldier, but was his life really worth that of a hundred knights? To Odair and the rest of the pilots it was what they were taught all their lives. To suddenly have it turned upside down the moment it was time to make that call…

""You have to make it out alive! You have to-" He wasn't able to finish. The jets made launched their second volley before he was able to.

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 **Pendragon Royal Hospital; 2010 ATB**

The next time Lelouch awoke, it was to the sterile environment of a hospital bed. He was keenly aware of how much everything hurt, but counted himself lucky that he could feel that pain. From every part of his body he knew was still there. With a great effort, he attempted to sit up, suddenly feeling a hand pressing down on his shoulder. "You're in no condition to be moving now, my prince."

Through blurred vision, he could somewhat make out the owner of the hand, more so their voice. "Jeremiah?"

"I am glad to see you are alright." The man said with a look of relief. But from what Lelouch could see, he should probably be in a bed as well.

"Where am I?" Lelouch asked, rubbing his eyes to see clearly. "Wait, what happened? Did they survive?!" He began to panic slightly, recalling the last few moments of consciousness he had.

"I believe i can answer that for you, your highness." Lelouch turned to see another person he hasn't first noticed in the room. A man several years older than Jeremiah, with shorter red hair and sporting a military uniform. "I'm captain Michael Odair, your highness."

"Oh, then you made it safely." Lelouch quickly confirmed the man wasn't in a terrible state like Jeremiah was, he likely made it through just fine. "I'm glad."

"It's all thanks to you, prince Lelouch. Your plan worked flawlessly, we were able to repel the ambush and continue to crush the resisting army shortly after." The captain explained to him. "Since the jets were focused on the command center we were able to properly position out forces before they has an opportunity to distract us from main body. You saved our lives, your highness."

"Well I...couldn't just stand around and do nothing." Lelouch replied, looking away. He was hardly used to such praise.

"No, what you should have done was flee at the first sign of danger, especially for a ten year old." that was something Odair did not expect when he came to see Prince Lelouch. "But you didn't."

Taking a deep breath, The older man gave him a smile. "I've served a lot of commanders in the few years I've been a soldier. Most of them nobles who care only for victories, not the men who wim them. General Walter did not even know my name the last time I spoke with him. You are something completely different your highness, someone special." In an unexpected gesture, Michael Odair sank to one knee before the prince. "I owe you my life. And I will offer it to you, if you would accept it."

His mouth hung open slightly, gaping in shock. This man...would swear himself to him? He needed allies, he needed power, and before now he has no idea how to obtain it for himself. Now he did. It was as simple as being himself, a prince who radiates the aura of one who leads. Do that and others were bound to follow.

"I accept." He said, returning the man's smile.

"Thank you, my prince." Odair replied, rising to stand tall. "Now, there are a little more than a dozen men in the lobby who would like to make you the same offer. But they would only allow one person to wait in the room."

With bulging eyes, Lelouch swallowed in disbelief. "...How many?"

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 **The Marianne; 2018 ATB**

Lelouch looked out the window at the approaching land with a wistful smile. It was really hard to believe at times how far he had come since then. He was right after all, the best way to gain allies was to be as true to one's self as possible. He had far more than he could have asked for.

"My prince, we'll be arriving at Port Elizabeth soon." A man dressed in the regal wear of his royal guard told him from the ajar doorway.

"Thank you Odair, We should make preparations to unload the Equis' then." He replied, turning to him briefly.

"Of course, I'll pass that along." He observed the face of his prince for a moment as he stared out at the sea. "Is something the matter, your highness?"

Lelouch snapped from his thoughts again with a surprised look. "Oh, no. I was simply reminiscing."

"Ah, I'll leave you to it then." With a nod, the captain of his royal guard closed the door behind him.

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 **Finally chapter 2 is done. Took me way to long, but that's because I was planning the next few chapters as well. Luckily though I have a good chunk of the story fleshed out, so it shouldn't be this long of a wait again.**


	3. Pendragon

**Indomitable**

 **Oof, how long has it been? Here's an extra long chapter to compensate.**

 **Chapter 3: Pendragon**

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 **Port Elizebeth; 2018 ATB**

Port Elizabeth was every bit as Britannian as was expected. Serving as the primary source of seabound travel across the Atlantic between the homeland and most of the Britannian settlements across the world. Around nearly a hundred cargo ships were docked at any given time, and dozens moved in and out to carry vital resources that kept the vast empire alive and well. The Marianne was just one of many military ships docked as well, along with her escort ships Invicta and Victoria. The fleet was guided into their own private sub-port owned by the vi Britannia family. It was a luxury afforded only to select few, especially for one that fit more than a simple yacht or two. The Marianne was a monstrous ship, the dock was by no means a tiny strip reserved for a pleasure cruise.

Lelouch disembarked along with everyone else who would be going to Pendragon with him. Nunnally of course, as well as the rest of the first squadron. The royal guard and Gottwald also, as a mandatory precaution. The rest of the soldiers aboard were free to visit friends and family for the time they were to spend in the homeland. As members of the Black Knights they were separate from the ordinary rank and file soldiers. To a lesser degree than his royal guard, the entire division swore oaths to the vi Britannias. That was mostly the reason it was comparably smaller to most other divisions. However, that also meant there wasn't a single squad of infantry either. All the combat oriented members piloted knightmares. The rest were simply officers or other staff. And each one was personally recruited by Lelouch himself, weeding out any pompous nobles or particularly disloyal commoners. He wasn't exactly the most popular individual among the residents of the homeland, but where he was liked, he was loved. Being a 'peasant prince' had it's perks, along with its banes. Even still, there were plenty of all backgrounds that shared all kinds of opinions. That being said, Britannia's very nature tended to contradict his own existence. Many liked to point that out.

He was satisfied with his small army however, picked up over the course of many campaigns and missions. Some of them were veterans of many more while others were pulled straight from the academy. Regardless of their background, they all shared one purpose: his purpose. He took comfort in knowing he had them to rely on. Looking at back the time he first commanded Odair, his own men now could perform that maneuver without even thinking about it. His mother had never taken the time to develop her own group of soldiers, instead she constantly moved from battlefield to battlefield. Her name as Marianne the Flash commanded absolute authority among any that happened to cross paths with her. Many of her flawless strategies were known only to her, not drilled to perfection by a reliable force of her own. It was a testament to her ability that she was able to so consistently lead any unit to victory regardless of those circumstances.

So Lelouch supposed he could say he took the easier road then. Not that he regretted it at all. The Black Knights belonged to him, and nothing could doubt that.

"Oh I can't wait to finally get back home, it's been so long!" Nunnally commented with an eager spring in her step. "I wonder how Euphy has been doing the past couple of months...you'll join us for tea sometime won't you brother?"

Lelouch laughed lightly at the innocent desperation in her question. He did seldom have time for social calls, or rather he made time in an effort to not have time. Anyone he cared to associate with he did so on a regular basis through business ventures. Even between siblings, like Cornelia, it was for a specific purpose. "Well, I do have a few things I need to take care of while we're here." He answered her. "But I do suppose I could afford to spend an afternoon with the two of you."

"That would be wonderful!" His sister's joyful smile was hard to refuse, and Lelouch knew there wasn't any way for him to get out of the deal now.

"Speaking of, Prime Minister Schneizel wished to speak with you upon our arrival at Aries Villa, my prince." Jeremiah informed him.

"Good news, I hope." Lelouch responded as he ducked into the awaiting car that would bring them to the nearby airport, then to pendragon. "I've been meaning to follow up on a few things with Schneizel, there have been some interesting developments he could provide information on."

"He's not gonna make us go on another campaign again is he?" Nunnally pouted from her seat across from him.

The prince smiled at her, shaking his head. "I doubt it, not right after we got back anyway. You don't have to worry."

"Where do you believe the empire intends to strike next, your highness?" Jeremiah asked from beside him, the only other occupant if their vehicle, the rest following behind as a convoy. "Princess Cornelia will remain in the MEF for some time, which means it will be us deployed to the next battlefield."

"There are a few possibilities, but as this stand now with the EU and Chinese Federation, its it's hard to say." Lelouch replied, rubbing his chin in thought. "Most likely I would actually say repacification of Area Eleven."

"Area Eleven? Where Clovis is?" His sister asked.

"Yes, despite how much he insists otherwise, the Area is falling apart. It's no secret Japan is more volatile than any other imperial province, terrorism runs rampant there, consistently difficult to control due to the people's nature. Regardless of that factor, Clovis's own incompetence is an issue only feeding the fire. One that could prove catastrophic to the entire empire if the production in Area Eleven was disrupted." He explained to both Jeremiah and Nunnally. "I've even heard rumors from a few places that there's an even bigger group calling themselves the 'Japan Liberation Front'. Remnants of Japan's old military structure. They might be planning something big in the near future. That kind of situation would be undeniable proof that drastic intervention is required. Normally Cornelia herself would be going, I even requesting she take care of an errand should she do so; but in reality I believe father would prefer we go instead."

"We would have to discredit Clovis then, wouldn't we brother." Nunnally added sullenly.

"I have no reservations about that sister. Clovis isn't the same as he was all those years ago. His treatment of the citizens and numbers is testament to that. He would rather place importance on his art galas and balls then insuring his viceroyship survives. Usurping his authority and stamping out the rebellions he failed to suppress will prove once and for all just who of us superior. For all to see. It just makes us one step closer to realizing our dream, Nunnally."

With a hesitant expression she turned away from him, looking out the window toward the expansive port city. "I know that, it's just…"

"It might be hard, but it's an opportunity we need to take. Clovis stands in our way right now and this is the best way to pass him without any sort of fallout. This is the safest, most effective way."

It was not uncommon for such dangerous topics to be discussed between the two of them, to which the steadfastly loyal Jeremiah was often present. There was nothing kept secret between the siblings, their goals one in the same. While it came to Lelouch to make those difficult decisions, it was Nunnally who made sure he didn't go too far. It had been the two of them against the rest of the entire world almost all their lives, they were far more than just siblings in that regard. It might sound like idealistic daydreams to most, but the path to the throne was a dream they shared, and a vision they alone strived for.

And nothing, not even a once beloved brother, would get in their way.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 **Stadfeld Foundation Testing Site One; 2018 ATB**

With a mechanical hiss, the hatch opened up to the fresh cool air. Kallen arched her back to loosen her cramped joints from sitting like this for so long.

"The results were incredible, my lady." One engineer told her as he handed a much needed bottle of water. "You peaked at ninety-six percent this time."

She briefly nodded as she accepted the beverage, draining it before speaking. "Those last modifications really did the trick Rakshata." She said to the Indian woman standing below the knightmare attached to various machines and equipment. "I can really tell the difference in performance this time."

"Of course my dear. With you piloting my Guren, I can apply any number of enhancements the average devicer wouldn't be capable of handling at all."

With a victorious smile, the Stadtfeld heiress gracefully leapt from atop the crouching knightmare. Attached to various monitoring systems that comprised the simulator, the fearsome Guren Mk-II stood as the centerpiece of the massive test facility. Constructed only a few years ago under Kallen's instruction. Despite vehement protests from the rest of her family, she took a massive investment into the field of knightmare technology. Though her reasons for doing so were much more personal, her father was far from denying her. And as the only child of the Count Stadtfeld, her choice was hers alone to make. Since then, it was a stroke of incredible fortune to have met Rakshata Chawla in her research on foreign weapons, and yet another upon discovering her aptitude as a devicer. It was as if God himself was granting her one desire, paving the path forward for her.

Her eyes came to rest upon the letter lying on her work station, its incredibly ornate design hinting to the importance of its contents. Or perhaps at least their importance to her. Picking up the paper, she read over it's contents once again. Yes, there had to be a God on her side. The opportunity she was waiting for was presented right in front of her. Briefly, she wondered if he would even attend himself, fearing she wouldn't have the chance to meet him. Frankly she had no other way of contacting him otherwise. As a countess, she held a great deal of power, but even then the difference of their station left simply inviting him to tea completely out of the question. Really Kallen wasn't even sure if that was an option anyway. Sighing, she shook her head. He would be there, he had to be. There were no other options.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 **Aries Villa; 2018 ATB**

"Welcome home your highness."

Stepping through the doors of his family's home, Lelouch was greeted with the a chorus of assembled servants in his employ. None of the men and women bowed before him previously worked in the villa since it came into his care, one of the first things he did with that authority was flush the staff completely, leaving no room for any other potential sources of deceit in the household. What followed was months of rigorous background checks and interviews in order to properly fill the void left in their dismissal. Loyalties to his mother, or perhaps long disguised sleepers, even a traitor or two it did not matter. As far as Lelouch was concerned Gottwald was the only man loyal to the vi Britannia line itself, testament to that no others came forward during that time pledging any such loyalties save that man. If they were worth keeping around they would have in the least asked as much.

"There are several matters awaiting your attention, my lord." Stepping forward was the house caretaker and secretary Amelia Wright, a brilliant young Britannian commoner Lelouch procured from the Saint Edward Academy in New Orleans. A prestigious background with limitless potential hampered only by her bloodline. After watching far less qualified nobles steal positions meant for her the blonde jumped at the opportunity to serve directly under an imperial prince. It was one of the many times he used to his advantage was many would call his greatest weakness. His unique ability to sympathize with commoners put him above all his other siblings save perhaps Schneizel, whose own power and charisma alone was enough to steal away desirable individuals. Like that Einstein girl whose paper made headlines last year.

"Most importantly, the Prime Minister is on call in your office." Amelia continued. "He says the matter is not urgent, and awaits at your leisure."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Not urgent he says?" Sighing he turned his attention to his sister beside him. "Apologies Nunnally but we'll have to do tea another time."

Shaking her head, the princess gave an understanding smile. "It's fine brother, I'll see you later then."

Breaking off with a cheerful wave, Nunnally left to her own room, Alice and her entourage of guards following behind her.

"One other thing, your highness." Amelia added as the prince departed himself. "Lord Ashford has requested your input on the collaboration project with the Zevon family. They cannot begin to make progress without a few things."

"I thought they already had what they wanted from me." Lelouch frowned. "The base operating system and druid system were the reason I initiated the project, my desire for its integration should have been enough."

"Lord Ashford specifically said that making a personal knightmare frame should involve the direction of its intended user throughout the entire process and such should not be ignored." The secretary added.

Tilting his head, Lelouch asked "Is that chastisement?"

"I believe so, my prince."

"Pah, that old man knows how busy I am. I don't have time to babysit his work." The prince complained.

"Perhaps there is wisdom is his request my prince." Jeremiah offered. "You won't be satisfied with the result if you did not take part in its completion."

"Then I'll be sure give him very specific details." He growled.

His footsteps faltered a moment as he passed by that room, the open doors revealing a sight long since vanished in his mind's eye. Hesitating, the atmosphere noticeably shifting to silence, and everyone knew exactly why. Really, he should have put more thought into the layout of his office routine. Or perhaps, that's exactly what he did, making himself to pass by this place each time. Shaking such thoughts from his head, he took another step, forcing his way forward until he came to the entrance of his private sanctuary. Jeremiah opened it for him, as Amelia handed him a folder to review after speaking with Schneizel.

"Shall I have tea brought for you your highness, or perhaps coffee?" the woman asked.

"Coffee would be better, thank you." Lelouch answered, briefly glancing at the folder's contents. In truth, he hadn't slept well in a long time. Insomnia set in after countless late work nights in an effort to avoid encroaching nightmares. It didn't start happening until recently however, premonitions of deaths he couldn't avoid, and faceless corpses of those he could only assume. He was no stranger to death, his own hand had taken the lives of many already. And though he tried to avoid it, his sent off more than a few good men to their eternal rest. Yet still there were things he feared, and his own mind refused to let him forget them.

Silently, he dropped the folder onto his desk, falling into the comfortable chair that offered him a view of the still immaculately maintained gardens. Clearing all traces of emotion from his face, he replaced his mask before pressing the blinking button on the desk phone. The computer monitor beside it came to life, revealing the older blonde man reading something off camera. Noticing his presence, the prime minister set down his material before turning his attention to the monitor of his own that displayed Lelouch on his end. "Ah, Lelouch, there you are." His brother greeted with a practiced smile.

"Apologies, I hope you weren't waiting long." Lelouch began, offering a smile of his own.

"Not at all, I can always make time for you. You're doing well I hope?" The prime minister asked.

He answered with a modest shrug. "Well enough, and yourself?"

"There's never an end to the list of troubles, I'm sure you've had your share." Schneizel said, allowing a hint of exhaustion through to prove his point.

"Indeed. Unfortunately I was busy wasting my time in Area Eight." He agreed.

"How was that by the way, you sound displeased."

"Either the 'large knightmare armed insurgency group' transformed themselves into dust or were nothing more than dust in the first place." Lelouch explained with clear irritation. "Frankly I believe more in the latter."

"I see, how disappointing. I'm sure you would much rather occupy yourself with more meaningful work." The older prince commented, shaking his head.

"Well, it was somewhat of a vacation actually. Eight is a rather nice place."

Schneizel lightly laughed. "Fair enough. Though if I receive any requests for defense funding from the viceroy I'll be sure to deny them."

"Do that. I'm certain the Viceroy will have found my efforts inadequate."

Nodding, Schneizel continued. "Speaking of which, I heard you assisted Cornelia in the middle east. How is she doing over there?"

"Well enough I suppose, I imagine by now she's simply rooting out the last of the resistance over there. The main body of military power collapsed along with that fortress I'm told." Lelouch explained what cornelia had mentioned to him back in what would soon be Area Eighteen.

"That's good, in afraid I haven't had the time to check in on her recently, but I had no doubts she was in no need of my direction. Unfortunately with both you and soon Cornelia returning to the homeland I can't say for certain where his Majesty intends to strike next." The Prime Minister mused, a hand on his chin. "Talks with the EU have gone nowhere, unsurprisingly. Though as you know peace is hardly an option we intend to pursue in the long run, I may actually switch targets in the near future."

"You believe the High Eunuchs would be easier to work with?" Lelouch confirmed.

"For one thing their ambitions are easily manipulated. I've debated marrying Odysseus off to their empress as some means of securing a temporary alliance. We are still in a rather fragile stalemate between the three powers, and frankly everyone knows peace is simply not an option. Not in the way that an alliance truly means anything that is."

"It can be assumed without a doubt the Eunuchs would stab us in the back the moment we stand over the corpse of the EU. The same can be said should we go about it the other way." Lelouch finished. "The best option would be to ally yourself not with the Federation itself, but just the Eunuchs who control it. Offer them something like Britannian nobility in exchange for selling out their people. As you said, it's hardly something they would refuse out of integrity or honorability."

"That's the same line of thinking I've considered. Without a doubt should we engage in a full on war with Europe and The Federation combined the result would be catastrophic. Victory would not be certain but financial collapse definitely would. We need several years between the campaigns to recover. And both our enemies know this." Sighing, Schneizel shook his head. "And don't get me started on the problems coming from within our own borders."

"Area Eleven never seems to calm down does it?" The younger prince commented.

He snorted at that with an irritated look. "Clovis assures me there is nothing to worry about. He's been in control of the area for six years now and as far as I can tell the situation had only gotten worse. Really, we should have done a better job of stamping out resistance before it ever began."

"I mentioned it when I was speaking with Cornelia, it's quite likely one of us will be sent to correct our dear brother's wrongdoings." Lelouch added. "If we actually were to lose Area Eleven, that would be the end of it."

"I don't know what his majesty was thinking entrusting such a critical area to someone who cares more about the arrangement of his next social event than the well being of his own domain." Showing unique frustration, the Prime Minister ran a hand through his hair. "Really, our family has enough dolls as it is. Ironic isn't it? That our 'superior' bloodline has produced so many useless individuals."

"Indeed." Lelouch agreed.

It was a unique connection the two of them had, more than just the effective relationship they shared. It was with Schneizel that Lelouch was able to act his most genuine, where all his ideas could be displayed and given fair thought. His older brother who taught him how to play chess was more like a father to him than anyone. Between the two of them, they were far more honest in their displeasure of the world around them.

Really, it was a shame.

They both knew full well that it was a race they were running, and only one of them could win. There was only one throne to sit upon, and only one world to change. One vision for the future.

"Well, I do have some other news to share with you, much more appealing." Schneizel began after a moment.

"Oh? I wasn't aware it was your job to give more than bad news." He replied lightheartedly.

"Asplund has finished work on the heavy float system for the Marianne." The blonde prince revealed.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "That is good news."

"There were a few snags with getting something so large off the ground, but Lloyd is a tenacious one." Schneizel explained. "Tell him something he wants is impossible and he will do everything in his power to prove you wrong."

"Camelot would be nothing without him."

"It should be outfitted in the next couple of weeks, while it's docked in Elizabeth. In the least, before your next deployment." he told Lelouch. "Consider it an apology for Area Eight."

"I'm grateful, truly. Nunnally loved the float simulation, she'll be overjoyed to hear the real thing is coming." The younger prince replied.

"There are currently enough to outfit your first squadron along with the Angelus. The technology is still in a prototype phase after all, but as promised, you get first pick." Schneizel finished.

"How long do you imagine before it becomes common place?" he asked.

"Lloyd tells me the theory was shared between him and another engineer he once studied with. The two had different methods of achieving flight but apparently Lloyd admits his colleague is also capable of creating them. After some digging I found out this Rakshata Chawla ended up working for the Stadtfeld Family. You know the heiress don't you?"

"Kallen has a knightmare engineer?" Admittedly, it had been some time since he last spoke to her, but this was the first he ever heard of it.

"There was a period of time the woman spent in India during which any number of technologies could have been developed for the Federation. For whatever reason, Lady Stadtfeld was able to convince Chawla to abandon her homeland and whatever projects she had over there. Scientists are a strange lot, with simple yet incomprehensible priorities." Schneizel explained.

"I'll have to find out what Kallen knows the next time I see her." Lelouch assured him.

"You may get a chance tonight actually. She was invited to your welcome ball after all."

"My...welcome ball?" He slowly asked.

"I arranged with your assistant to have your close colleagues and confidantes attend tonight. You will be going." He pulled the authority card, telling Lelouch in a tone that allowed no refusal.

"Alright then, I'll go." the raven haired prince relented.

"Don't make this so difficult. It's for your own betterment, you know that full well. Both re-establishing your power base and building stronger connections." Schneizel berated. "Don't make the same mistake Cornelia did."

"It's not the same. You know the reason I prefer not to." he countered.

"Which is why I went through the trouble of insuring more tolerable individuals would be in attendance. " Looking away from the screen a moment, the prime minister appeared to be listening to someone else in the room. "It appears my appointment with President Myers crept up too soon."

"Is he the second or the third?" Lelouch asked.

"The second. Oswald is the third. And he refuses to speak with me." The blonde answered.

"Then he might actually have a shred of common sense." He joked.

"Indeed he may. But one more thing before I go. This might not come as a surprise, but you should expect a summons from the emperor within a few days."

"Yes, I was aware." Lelouch replied.

The prime minister nodded. "Good. It's remarkable that his majesty calls upon you as often as he does. Most of our siblings haven't actually ever spoken to him before."

"Can't exactly speak to dolls, right?"

Schneizel chuckled a bit. "Precisely. I hope to return from Europe before you leave, I would love to sit down for a game of chess."

"As would I. Best of luck over there." Lelouch agreed.

"You as well."

The screen shut off, leaving him in silence. Sighing, he called out to the one he knew was waiting beyond the door. "Amelia!"

Promptly, the woman entered his office, carrying a tray with the drink he requested. She set it on the desk before bowing slightly. "Is there anything else I can do for you your highness?"

"You can tell me when this ball is taking place for one." He told her.

"At eight my prince, my apologies for not informing sooner. The Prime Minister wished to tell you himself. Particularly, he said you wouldn't be able to come up with an excuse on the spot." The assistant explained.

"Did he now..." The prince sighed in defeat. "The guest list?"

"In your folder there, your highness." She answered.

He flipped various reports and letters before finding the desired list, finding a few interesting names. Including one Countess Stadtfeld. "Marrybell will be there?"

"She was invited, but it's unlikely she will be there, my prince."

That didn't really surprise him. She enjoyed such events even less than he did. In the least, he was effective in handling them. Marrybell was one of the few siblings he could tolerate, and her (admittedly forced) disinterest in the throne made her an invaluable ally more so than Schneizel or Cornelia. Her Glaston Knights had various times in the past conducted joint operations with his own unit multiple times. Her desires were easily read, and for the most part, aligned with his own. Though he had no such beliefs that he could control her. Not that he wanted to anyway. He shook his head, he could worry about her later.

"Have Jeanne prepare my wardrobe. Let's just get this over with."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 **Gemini Imperial Villa; 2018 ATB**

"Area Eight sounds lovely!" The pink haired princess bubbled in response to the recounting of what was supposed to be a military operation

"It really was." The younger princess agreed. "I would have much liked to visit some of the places personally though. Lelouch allowed all the knights a short leave when we discovered the area wasn't in danger, but he wouldn't let me outside the settlement area."

"How terrible, really he needs to learn to lighten up." Euphemia frowned, setting down the beautifully crafted teacup.

"I hate to be the stick in the mud Nunna, but Prince Lelouch does have good reason to be cautious." Alice brought up, the third sitting at the balcony table that overlooked the rest of the grand capital of Pendragon.

"I know it can be dangerous, but he's the one without a knight. It's not like we were in some foreign country either. Area Eight has been part of the empire for decades." Nunnally continued to complain.

"Hey, I'm just saying there isn't any shortage of threats at any given time. Believe me, its had me stressed out more than you know." The young knight shook her head. "I bet the prince hasn't told you...but he's dealt with nine assassination attempts since the beginning of the year."

"Nine?!" Nunnally exclaimed. "He hasn't said a word of that to me."

"That's part of the reason he doesn't have a personal knight I think, to make himself look more vulnerable than you." Euphy wondered. "That does sound like him.

"Well, from what Jeremiah told me-only to hell me with my own job he says-was that prince Lelouch would sooner risk his own life than Nunnally's in a heartbeat" Alice explained.

"Yes that certainly is Lelouch." Euphy tilted her head. "But what does that have to do with you?"

"Implying that I better do my job to any consequence. Not that I don't know that."

"Come now Alice, I believe in you." Nunnally gave

a smile that quickly faded. "But I do wish Lelouch would take his own safety more seriously. He worries so much about everyone else."

"There isn't much you could say to convince him otherwise, I'm sure. But you know how paranoid he is, you really shouldn't fret over it Nunna." The pinkette reassured her.

"That's true enough." Alice agreed. "I get wrapped up with more than enough procedures and policies just to get you over here. I couldn't imagine being in Jeremiah's shoes. Though somehow I picture he thrives in that sort of organized chaos."

"I'm just afraid he'll overlook himself one of these days. I do my best to help him but he would rather deal with so many things himself." Nunnally sighed, toying with an empty cup.

"Maybe you should just demand he gets a knight." the older princess suggested. "If he would listen to anyone it would be you."

"I do, quite often in fact. Even Schneizel has pestered him over it and no one can bend his arm better than Schneizel can."

The two princesses fell into silence as Nunnally refilled her own tea. There were no servants present to perform such menial tasks, or overhear them either. And it wasn't something she would make Alice do. "Will you be attending the welcome ball tonight?"

"Yes of course." Euphy responded. "Schneizel even assured me that he would convince Lelouch to attend this time."

"It would have been nice to know ahead of time, but this way he can't squirm his way out." Nunnally said with a grin.

"Speaking of which, we might want to go soon to prepare for that." Alice added. "Considering how long it took the last time that is."

"Hey, it wasn't that long!" Nunnally protested, before glancing at an expensive grandfather clock "But you're right, it is getting pretty late"

"Well I'll see you there tonight then Nunna."

The younger princess rose from the table. "Sorry to leave so abruptly, I wasn't watching the time. But I'll see you again soon!"

She departed from the balcony, waving goodbye as she traversed the long familiar hallways toward the grand entrance of the palace. Gemini Villa was one of the largest imperial palaces, save the pisces Villa belonging to first consort Anticlea. In comparison, Aries was rather small. Despite that, it's gardens were still far more famous than any other. Due largely to princess Euphemia, the Gemini Palace still boasted an impressive garden of it's own. But due to lelouch's militaristic minimalism, Aries was far less extravagant in every other way. Despite that, he refused to allow the gardens to wither away.

Through the massive front gate was a car awaiting their return, parked in front of a large fountain. From here they could see the gigantic Pendragon Imperial Palace, standing out from sheer size alone. Behind it was the Aries Villa, only twenty minutes away when utilizing the exclusive sub level roadways for the imperial family. The two traveled along the road unimpeded, sitting in a comfortable silence along the dimly lit road.

"Is something the matter Nunnally?" Her knight asked, quick to catch on despite her best efforts to hide her thoughts.

"I was just thinking about something my brother said earlier." Her expression turned sour. "All this time he has tirelessly pursued our mother's murderer. He thinks he's close, but I feel like anything he finds at this point won't be worth it. It's not like I don't want the clarity of knowing what happened, but nothing adds up the more I think about it."

The princess frowned, looking out the window as the car exited the tunnel, reaching a bridge that crossed over the industrial district of the city and to the other side where Aries stood. "He is obsessed with unraveling some deep conspiracy, the more he digs, the more i fear what it is he's going to find."

"Well I think you're a little too obsessed with your big brother." Alice replied. "No offense Nunna but the only thing you've talked about is Prince Lelouch."

"Ah-well he's been on my mind a lot I suppose." Nunnally admitted. "You know he's important to me Alice."

"Better than other boys to me I guess." The knight muttered under her breath.

"Besides that Mother has been a big issue a lot to me too. I just...thought it time to move on." She sighed deeply, returning her gaze again to the beautiful cityscape. "I don't think this is what she would want us spending our lives on."

"Well you have others goals don't you?" Alice reminded her. "A better world and all."

Holding a slight frown, Nunnally replied. "Yes, but I feel Lelouch has centered his entire mind around vengeance. That's why we want to do this sure, but it needs to be done the right way."

"And you think he won't do it the right way?" She asked. "What exactly are you worried about?"

"It's a dangerous line to walk Alice. There's half a dozen cliche sayings that prove what could happen if he doesn't let it go."

Once again they were plunged into artificial lighting as the car reached the next sub level tunnel that would take them directly under the Aries Villa. If he doesn't do it himself, it's up to me to knock some sense into him before it's too late."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 **Pendragon Imperial Palace; 2018 ATB**

He really had to go and hold the event here.

Frankly he would have been far more comfortable in the Aries Villa ballroom. And given the relatively small group of guests it was more than accommodating. Lelouch never felt right being here, as if the walls themselves were giving him the same look the nobles within always did. He always felt out of place here, despite his constant efforts to perfect the mask he wore in these picturesque hallways. Still, he slipped that mask on, holding his image in the perfect example of imperial privilege. Even among allies and confidantes he had to maintain his authority as their superior, as a prince of the empire.

He took a step forward, tugging slightly at the cravat that hugged his neck. The silver trimmed black cape swayed gently across the masterfully crafted marble stone as he reached the the doors flanked by two palace guards. They saluted crisply as the doors were opened inward, allowing him entry. He felt a distressed pull on his occupied arm, prompting his attention to the young woman holding it.

"Is it really alright for me to be here your highness?" Amelia asked, her blonde hair done up and donning a stunning dress fit to accompany him.

"We've already been over this." He insisted. "You know yourself there isn't anyone present to protest your presence. Besides, more than that no one is willing to bring up the matter with me personally. You'll be fine, just stay by my side."

Reluctantly, the secretary let the issue drop. It wasn't exactly her own status Amelia was worried about. But the place she held beside the prince was one meant for his personal knight, or more preferably wife. Just because he had neither of those didn't mean it was alright for her to take their place. Those were the kinds of things she had to quickly pick up when dealing with aristocracy. However, she also quickly had to pick up her prince's tendency to ignore such intricacies. Or rather his utter disregard for them. Steeling her own expression, she strode beside the prince as they entered the ballroom.

"Announcing his highness Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, sixth in line to the imperial throne." the herald shouted as they passed through the doors and to the top of the steps that overlooked the rest of the party. The collective room bowed before the darkly clad prince, easily allowing him to spot where his sisters stood together, as well as another interesting attendee. He rose a hand in greeting, prompting them to rise and resume their individual conversations.

At the bottom of the stairs he was greeted by the aged Lord Ashford along with the current knight of two, Olivia Zevon. "Well your highness you've been rather busy haven't you?" The older woman remarked with teasing grin. "Working your way up I see."

"Only that his majesty has seen fit to reward the efforts I have long put in for the empire." Lelouch replied diplomatically. Olivia was a knight of the round after all, though one who was closely tied to his mother. He knew the head of the Zevon family since his was a young boy. Though through her daughter Oldrin the families allegiance was somewhat torn between his own and the mel Britannias after the obligations Olivia held to the throne. It was unseemly of the emperor's knights to play favorites, yet Olivia didn't like to follow the rules that much either. Another reason the two got along. Luckily however, there was little love lost between himself and Maribelle, and they were often able to work together just fine. Hence their cooperation in the development of his latest project. However Olivia's involvement as the head of Pluton was another matter entirely. One Lelouch was powerless against the emperor in terms of such loyalties.

"But of course, I'd expect nothing less of you." The knight said with a smile.

"You look well my prince, I trust your recent operations have gone well?" Ruben added.

"Indeed, it was a very simple matter hardly worth the attention." He replied.

The old man turned his head to the last one present. "And Miss Wright, it's a pleasure to see you."

Amelia answered with a dignified curtsey. "You as well, Lord Ashford."

"You should be ashamed, making your assistant accompany you to such an event." Olivia remarked. "He isn't treating you badly is he dear?"

The younger woman shook her head. "Of course not Lady Zevon. Though there weren't any other women he could find to bring along save princess Nunnally."

"Well isn't that a shame." Olivia commented with a wry smile.

"You know perfectly well the reasons why." The prince growled with mild irritation.

"Yes yes, much too busy for a little wife aren't you Colonel?" She continued to tease him. Though in reality she did understand why. Many would call it paranoia but to him most every potential suitor would actively attempt to tear apart the vi Britannia house. Yet another result of his lineage.

"You heard that your project has need of your input your highness?" Ruben butted in to derail a line of conversation he knew the prince was not in favor of.

"Oh, yes Amelia just informed me today." He answered, his gratitude masking the earlier irritation he had at the idea. "What exactly did you need?"

"Well you wanted a frame with the druid system and experimental operating system we developed but other than that you were kinda vague." Olivia added.

"Perhaps we'll have to sit down and discuss it later." He answered, suddenly remembering he had no desire to go over knightmare specifications.

"Indeed. Now if you'll excuse me, I had something to speak to Lord Carrion about."

As Ruben left, the prince was free to mill about the ballroom floor, catching up with with his many various acquaintances. Over the years he had attempted to gather allies in all fields across the empire. Though for the most part it was more picking the scraps left behind by Schneizel and Guinevere. Not leaders but runner ups in various industries. It was enough to get by, though his connections to people such as Ruben and Olivia were certainly beneficial. Except those ties went back to his mother, and he was only fortunate enough to have inherited their allegiance.

Stopping at a table to pick up a drink, he was surprised to run into the one he thought he spotted hiding in the corner earlier. "Marrybell." He greeted. "I'm delighted to see you've joined tonight."

"I guess I could same the same." his half sister replied. "Wouldn't have been worth it if you didn't come. Oldrin insisted I show support and all."

"Well I thank you for that. So how was your mission down in twelve? More exciting then my own I imagine." He started conversing, offering her a glass.

The princess took it, swirling it absentmindedly. "It was a good way to break in those modifications. Thanks for that by the way, those gravitational panels feel like you're flying."

"Rumor has it you may soon actually be flying." He offered.

"I heard about that. Schneizel got your float panels ready. Maybe he might actually get my Grandberry completed now. Must be nice being the favorite." Marrybell said, downing most of the wine at once.

Lelouch snorted at that. "That's hardly accurate you know."

"Yeah maybe. But you got Schneizel's ear, and even Cornelia's, that's all that really matters." She replied, now staring at a beautifully empty glass. "But hey, as far as I'm concerned it's all the same. We're accomplices right Lulu?"

Watching gaze longingly at where the wine once was promoted him to offer her a second, which she took with a shrug. "God I hate places like this. I know these are all your people but that doesn't change the atmosphere in the slightest."

"We are accomplices Marrybell, so I suppose you can just leave all the posturing to me in the future."

The princess took a more lenient sip from the second cup. "I knew there had to be some reason to throw in with you. I think that may just be it."

Laughing lightly Lelouch rose his own glass to hers. "To a promising future then."

"What a bunch of misfits we are. The royal family would sooner see us removed wouldn't they? Too bad I don't plan on going anywhere."

"Good, I'll be needing you soon." The prince nodded. "We'll make sure it's them that don't fit in."

"I can get behind that." She agreed setting down the glass without finishing it. "Sorry but that's it for me. Good seeing you, let me know when you know where you're going next."

"I will. And I'll make sure to commission you before you get assigned elsewhere." Lelouch assured her.

"Right, hope it's somewhere good."

He watched her head straight for the door, not entirely in a straight line. He began to wonder how many glasses she had before running into him. Though he couldn't exactly blame her. Shaking his head he made to resume his rounds before abruptly stopping before someone else who had approached him. Her crimson hair was done in a way he never saw it before, and her brilliant blue eyes stared directly at him, totally capturing his attention.

"Your highness, I've been meaning to talk to you."

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

 **And next time we'll go over how Lelouch and Kallen first met, as well as some other stuff that happened in the past.**

 **It won't be another six months I promise.**


End file.
